Dark Armpit Update April 2015

Hello Divas!

I realize it has been a LONG time since I posted about my dark armpits but that was really because I had just given up on them ever looking nice again. I have tried so many different things but have not seen any results and some products made them worse!!!

Some products made me itch and burn, and some even caused rashes and bumps.

I was so frustrated that I really felt like nothing would ever work. I am currently trying out two products, one on the left armpit and one on the right, to see if I can tell any difference.

I am pleased to report that I think ONE of them is working. I know the pictures are not very clear but I really think the stuff is working in the right armpit.

Here is the left. As you can see the armpit skin is darker than the rest of my skin.

Here is the right. I know there is not much difference but I think in this image the dark patches are not as dark as the left side.

I have been using these two products for the same amount of time and following the same regimen. I use antiperspirant during the day after my morning shower, then use only the product on separate armpits after my nightly shower.

I am no longer waxing my armpits. Instead I use an epilator to remove the hair..it hurts a lot but it is worth it think because it removes more than shaving and it hurts me less than waxing.

I think the skin on the right side looks a little more even and less blotchy but I also think the dark patches are getting smaller as well as getting lighter.

If you look at the left side, the black mess is just one giant solid area but with the right side you can see the lighter lines where there are armpit creases.

I will keep up for another month, since it has only been about 3 weeks since I started these new products. I will then post more pictures for comparison. Wish me luck!

What do you think? Do you think the product is working in the right armpit?

Using PACT To Help With Weight Loss

Hello Divas!!

I have been on a roller coaster with trying to lose weight and become healthy and then falling off that bandwagon every time.

I recently tried a new app called PACT to help with my weight loss. It was recommended by a friend and I tried it out because it holds you accountable to a group of people. I did not know there was  free version so I signed up where I would have to pay if I did not complete my goals.

My friend later told me I could have signed up on a trial basis to not have to pay if I did not meet my goals but I had already made the commitment and wanted to go through with it.


So my PACT goals are to:
-log my meals for three days a week and
-log 10, 000 steps for one day a week.

I found the food goal easy because I was already logging my meals with MyFitness app. I have a Jawbone UP and that logs my steps as well and I figured I would go with one day per week because I know how difficult it is for me to get those steps.

I would have to pay $5 for every day that I miss and I gain a few cents for every day that I make the goal. The amount is determined by the people who miss their goals for the day and the amount is split among those who do make it.

Recently I have been walking about a half mile to the church near my place and then walking back for a total of a little over one mile every morning. It was easy to do this because we were on break but now that classes have started back I am not sure how many days I will be able to do this in the morning.

In any case I have that PACT app reminding me to get my goals done for the week because I really do not want to pay any money!!!

How are you keeping up with your goals?

My Hygiene/Shower Routine

Hello Divas!

Today I wanted to chat about something we all do but people don't really talk about.

Showering!

I have a basic shower routine that I do every morning and night and then I add a little extra on weekends and special occasions. I will include a few images with links to the products that I use so you can order them online if you wish as well.

So just to confirm, I do shower twice a day unless I am sick on a weekend or something. You all know I sweat a lot and I was trained to not leave the house in the morning without taking a shower. I also feel it is most important to shower at night because then you are washing all the nastiness of the day off your body.

Even if you don't sweat a lot, during the day you come into contact with dirt, dust, and pollution and I feel you should shower at night to get rid of that and go to sleep clean in your bed.

I do sweat at night sometimes so I will take a quick shower in the morning to feel refreshed.

Basic daily shower
So for my basic shower  I really use three products. I use one for my face and two for my body.
For my body I prefer a simple soap and I mostly use Ivory soap. I love Ivory and have been using it for YEARS because it works with my skin. It has a light scent and is gentle on my skin so it is my go to for soap.

I use Ivory with a wash rag to wash away the grime of the day and sometimes that is all I do.The next part of my shower is to use body wash with a shower pouf. I normally like the more rough textured shower pouf because I feel like they exfoliate better.


This is not the actual one I use currently but I could not find a link to it.

I use any shower gel I like because it is just to add a little scent. I use one shower gel or body wash until I run out and don't always match my shower product to my lotion.


Right now I am using a vanilla scented body wash/shower gel combo and it works well on my skin.


Quick rinse
In the morning I usually just have a quick rinse because I already showered the night before. For the quick rinse I will normally just use one product instead of the two I used for the Basic daily shower above. Normally I will use only the shower pouf and shower gel but if I feel like I sweated a lot that previous night I will use soap and the wash rag.

Special occasion/Weekend extras
 On the weekends I will take a little more time in the shower. I will go ahead and do the first step of the basic daily shower, which is to use the soap and wash rag. I will then use a scrub to exfoliate and what I am LOVING right now is the Brazilian Nut sugar scrub from Tree Hut.

It smells sooooo good I could almost eat it. This is one of the best scrubs I have ever used and I really love sugar scrubs because they are so gentle on the skin.  This has a deep sort of coffee, vanilla scent to it and I feel it energizes me if I use it in the morning but is versatile enough to calm me when I use it at night.

So those are the products I use in the shower and I know they may not work for everyone but they work for me.

Share your shower routine in the comments below!

Navy Dress from Agaci

Hello Divas!!!!

I recently bought a new navy and white dress from Agaci and I love it. The sizes run a bit small so I had to get a larger size than I usually wear but that was ok.

I love the print on this dress and it is a light dress that I can wear during the summer, yet still thick enough for spring weather.

It is a little bit over the knee but it is not too short. I think this dress can be extremely casual when paired with sandals, but it can be dressed up a little with the right shoes!

The price was right and I am happy with this purchase and can't wait to wear it.